Surnames beginning with N
About this table:
The table below lists surnames (and spelling variations) we have come across in our research in Scotland. Not all of these names are Scottish in origin, but we have found them all in Scottish historical records. The table also gives some indication of how common those surnames are.
Rank
The column marked Rank gives an indication of the frequency with which a surname appears in Scottish historical records. The record sets used to determine this rank are Census (1841-1911), Old Parish Registers 1538-1854, Statutory Registration of births, deaths and marriages (1855-2013), Catholic parish records (1703-1992), Valuation rolls (1855-1925) and Scottish wills and testaments (1513-1925). The higher the number, the less common the surname is in historical records. This record set currently includes 8597 surnames.
Per 100k 1841
The number of occurrences of this surname in the 1841 census of Scotland for each 100,000 people. A value of 0 does not mean there were no people with that surname in Scotland, only that there were fewer than 1 in 100,000.
Per 100k 1911
The number of occurrences of this surname in the 1841 census of Scotland for each 100,000 people. A value of 0 does not mean there were no people with that surname in Scotland, only that there were fewer than 1 in 100,000.
Search
Search our records available online for instances of the surname.
Concentration
A measure of how geographically concentrated the surname is in Scotland. The higher the number, the more unevenly distributed the surname is around Scotland. A value of 0 indicates that the surname was not recorded in 1841. Half of the surnames in our records have a score of 13.28 or less, and a score of 48.21 or above means that the surname is one of the 10% most concentrated surnames in Scotland.
At present, this is calculated on a county level. We hope eventually to produce a measure on a parish level.
Top counties 1841
The three counties in Scotland with the highest per-capita incidence of the surname in 1841. If no counties are shown, there were no instances of this surname recorded in the 1841 census. If only one or two counties are shown, then the surname was only found in one or two counties in 1841.
The table below lists surnames (and spelling variations) we have come across in our research in Scotland. Not all of these names are Scottish in origin, but we have found them all in Scottish historical records. The table also gives some indication of how common those surnames are.
Rank
The column marked Rank gives an indication of the frequency with which a surname appears in Scottish historical records. The record sets used to determine this rank are Census (1841-1911), Old Parish Registers 1538-1854, Statutory Registration of births, deaths and marriages (1855-2013), Catholic parish records (1703-1992), Valuation rolls (1855-1925) and Scottish wills and testaments (1513-1925). The higher the number, the less common the surname is in historical records. This record set currently includes 8597 surnames.
Per 100k 1841
The number of occurrences of this surname in the 1841 census of Scotland for each 100,000 people. A value of 0 does not mean there were no people with that surname in Scotland, only that there were fewer than 1 in 100,000.
Per 100k 1911
The number of occurrences of this surname in the 1841 census of Scotland for each 100,000 people. A value of 0 does not mean there were no people with that surname in Scotland, only that there were fewer than 1 in 100,000.
Search
Search our records available online for instances of the surname.
Concentration
A measure of how geographically concentrated the surname is in Scotland. The higher the number, the more unevenly distributed the surname is around Scotland. A value of 0 indicates that the surname was not recorded in 1841. Half of the surnames in our records have a score of 13.28 or less, and a score of 48.21 or above means that the surname is one of the 10% most concentrated surnames in Scotland.
At present, this is calculated on a county level. We hope eventually to produce a measure on a parish level.
Top counties 1841
The three counties in Scotland with the highest per-capita incidence of the surname in 1841. If no counties are shown, there were no instances of this surname recorded in the 1841 census. If only one or two counties are shown, then the surname was only found in one or two counties in 1841.
| Surname | Rank | Search | Per 100k 1841 | Per 100k 1911 | Concentration score | Top counties 1841 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nabbs | 8083 | Search | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Naesmith | 5271 | Search | 0.62 | 0.62 | 4.3 | Midlothian (2.65) Lanarkshire (1.84) Renfrewshire (1.37) |
| Naesmyth | 5850 | Search | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Nailor | 6596 | Search | 0.04 | 0 | 8.8 | Glasgow (0.34) Lanarkshire (0.23) |
| Naiper | 5018 | Search | 3.05 | 0.35 | 8.2 | East Lothian (25.13) Kincardineshire (8.97) Lanarkshire (7.13) |
| Nairn | 623 | Search | 24.25 | 46.45 | 8.7 | Nairnshire (209.82) Berwickshire (96.27) Moray (72.82) |
| Nairne | 2589 | Search | 3.21 | 3.86 | 7.5 | Fife (23.94) Perthshire (18.77) Nairnshire (13.99) |
| Naismith | 1051 | Search | 19.81 | 36.07 | 5.1 | Lanarkshire (101.83) Glasgow (73.4) West Lothian (58.99) |
| Naismyth | 5375 | Search | 0.5 | 0.39 | 65.3 | West Lothian (32.77) Glasgow (1.01) Lanarkshire (0.69) |
| Napier | 452 | Search | 39.16 | 72.33 | 13.6 | Kincardineshire (532.12) Peeblesshire (151.83) Edinburgh City (87.42) |
| Nash | 2271 | Search | 1.39 | 8.88 | 9.3 | Dunbartonshire (12.92) Fife (7.37) Sutherland (4.25) |
| Nasmith | 4212 | Search | 1.7 | 0.04 | 4.1 | Stirlingshire (6.91) Renfrewshire (6.17) Midlothian (5.75) |
| Nasmyth | 2956 | Search | 2.24 | 1.51 | 17.8 | Kinross (39.85) Midlothian (18.56) Fife (10.13) |
| Naughtie | 5157 | Search | 0.54 | 0.15 | 34.4 | Banffshire (18.62) East Lothian (5.58) Aberdeen City (4.55) |
| Naughton | 2451 | Search | 3.63 | 6.1 | 8.2 | Moray (29.67) Aberdeen (15.54) Banffshire (14.48) |
| Naughty | 3712 | Search | 2.43 | 1.08 | 15.6 | Aberdeen City (37.92) Aberdeen (23.31) Moray (21.58) |
| Nauty | 8313 | Search | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Navin | 5427 | Search | 0.54 | 2.55 | 4.7 | Wigtownshire (2.56) Dunbartonshire (2.15) Aberdeen (2.07) |
| Nay | 4639 | Search | 0.66 | 1.62 | 11.2 | Ayrshire (7.38) Kirkcudbright (2.44) Fife (1.84) |
| Naylor | 3910 | Search | 0.62 | 3.78 | 21.2 | Dundee City (13.12) Angus (4.72) Glasgow (2.37) |
| Naysmith | 2535 | Search | 2.51 | 10.04 | 10.2 | Midlothian (25.64) Edinburgh City (7.7) East Lothian (2.79) |
| Neal | 3295 | Search | 1.85 | 2.86 | 20.7 | Wigtownshire (38.4) Kinross (19.93) East Lothian (5.58) |
| Neale | 4445 | Search | 0.42 | 1.08 | 48.2 | Wigtownshire (20.48) Inverness-shire (1.02) Glasgow (0.68) |
| Neasmyth | 7744 | Search | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Neave | 1633 | Search | 5.44 | 10.27 | 13.4 | Angus (73.13) Dundee City (60.67) Aberdeen City (10.62) |
| Neaves | 4005 | Search | 0.35 | 2.86 | 9.5 | Edinburgh City (3.3) Midlothian (2.65) Angus (1.77) |
| Neddrie | 6322 | Search | 0.31 | 0.27 | 13.4 | Angus (4.13) Kincardineshire (2.99) |
| Needham | 4263 | Search | 0.12 | 3.01 | 15.9 | Ayrshire (1.84) |
| Neel | 6169 | Search | 0.5 | 0 | 40.8 | Wigtownshire (20.48) Stirlingshire (3.45) Ayrshire (1.23) |
| Neil | 329 | Search | 54.64 | 119.75 | 3.3 | Ayrshire (180.14) West Lothian (154.04) Wigtownshire (138.23) |
| Neilance | 7699 | Search | 0.04 | 0 | 11.4 | Midlothian (0.44) |
| Neilands | 5139 | Search | 0.04 | 1.54 | 14.2 | Edinburgh City (0.55) Midlothian (0.44) |
| Neilans | 5083 | Search | 0.54 | 1.24 | 41.3 | East Lothian (22.34) Berwickshire (14.59) Midlothian (0.44) |
| Neill | 576 | Search | 17.42 | 55.92 | 6.6 | East Lothian (114.49) Ayrshire (54.1) Midlothian (45.53) |
| Neillans | 5479 | Search | 0.89 | 0.54 | 72.3 | East Lothian (64.23) |
| Neilson | 225 | Search | 98.82 | 139.94 | 2.5 | Kirkcudbright (250.9) Wigtownshire (238.06) Lanarkshire (235.39) |
| Neilston | 5955 | Search | 0.54 | 0.85 | 10.2 | Renfrewshire (5.49) Ayrshire (3.07) Edinburgh City (0.55) |
| Neish | 958 | Search | 9.85 | 27.61 | 8.8 | Dundee City (86.91) Angus (71.36) Fife (20.26) |
| Neishan | 7764 | Search | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Neismith | 6769 | Search | 0.46 | 0.31 | 9.9 | Stirlingshire (4.61) Renfrewshire (2.74) Dunbartonshire (2.15) |
| Neismyth | 8321 | Search | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Nelis | 4610 | Search | 0.31 | 1.62 | 4.4 | Renfrewshire (1.37) Glasgow (1.35) Edinburgh City (1.1) |
| Nellins | 7540 | Search | 0.04 | 0 | 75.6 | Berwickshire (2.92) |
| Nellis | 4454 | Search | 0.58 | 2.2 | 5.3 | Glasgow (3.04) Lanarkshire (2.3) Renfrewshire (2.06) |
| Nelson | 300 | Search | 49.81 | 172.15 | 4.3 | Wigtownshire (215.03) Dumfriesshire (177.32) East Lothian (159.17) |
| Nesbit | 2582 | Search | 3.9 | 7.84 | 11.2 | Berwickshire (43.76) East Lothian (41.89) Selkirkshire (24.56) |
| Nesmith | 3929 | Search | 1.31 | 0.66 | 5.2 | Renfrewshire (6.86) Glasgow (5.07) Lanarkshire (4.37) |
| Ness | 753 | Search | 18.81 | 47.96 | 11.9 | Fife (224.65) Dundee City (49.2) Edinburgh City (37.94) |
| Nethery | 6227 | Search | 0.31 | 0.93 | 8.9 | Renfrewshire (2.74) Glasgow (1.01) Lanarkshire (0.69) |
| Netterfield | 7786 | Search | 0 | 0.08 | 0 | |
| Neven | 3895 | Search | 4.21 | 1.54 | 3.6 | Roxburghshire (15.35) Ayrshire (13.53) Dundee City (13.12) |
| Nevens | 6840 | Search | 0.15 | 0.08 | 33.1 | Wigtownshire (5.12) Edinburgh City (0.55) Midlothian (0.44) |
| Nevill | 6245 | Search | 0.15 | 0.12 | 8.8 | Glasgow (1.35) Lanarkshire (0.92) |
| Neville | 2792 | Search | 0.5 | 9.23 | 7.4 | Glasgow (3.72) Lanarkshire (2.53) Dundee City (1.64) |
| Nevin | 2988 | Search | 3.21 | 4.17 | 7.4 | Dunbartonshire (23.69) Renfrewshire (11.66) Argyll (7.07) |
| Nevins | 6001 | Search | 0.08 | 0.08 | 42.4 | West Lothian (3.28) Edinburgh City (0.55) Midlothian (0.44) |
| Nevison | 4807 | Search | 0.62 | 1.58 | 31.5 | Kirkcudbright (19.49) Midlothian (3.54) Edinburgh City (0.55) |
| New | 4377 | Search | 0.35 | 2.16 | 23.6 | Dundee City (8.2) Angus (2.95) Aberdeen City (1.52) |
| Newal | 4820 | Search | 1.97 | 0.15 | 13.6 | Kirkcudbright (26.79) Dumfriesshire (24.74) Peeblesshire (9.49) |
| Newall | 1356 | Search | 5.64 | 14.6 | 17.7 | Kirkcudbright (99.87) Dumfriesshire (60.48) Dundee City (21.32) |
| Newberry | 4381 | Search | 1.16 | 1.43 | 21.2 | Selkirkshire (24.56) Roxburghshire (17.54) Ayrshire (7.38) |
| Newbiggens | 8321 | Search | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Newbigging | 2046 | Search | 6.95 | 9.38 | 31.4 | Peeblesshire (218.26) Lanarkshire (21.15) Berwickshire (20.42) |
| Newburgh | 7027 | Search | 0 | 0.04 | 0 | |
| Newell | 2984 | Search | 0.77 | 6.91 | 6.6 | Glasgow (5.07) Lanarkshire (3.45) Edinburgh City (1.65) |
| Newen | 7582 | Search | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Newland | 3673 | Search | 3.48 | 4.83 | 7.1 | Moray (26.97) Banffshire (26.9) Dunbartonshire (10.77) |
| Newlands | 571 | Search | 18.34 | 50.9 | 6.6 | Selkirkshire (122.82) West Lothian (114.71) Banffshire (101.38) |
| Newman | 2229 | Search | 1.66 | 6.49 | 9 | Kincardineshire (14.95) Dundee City (9.84) Aberdeen City (6.07) |
| Newsom | 7021 | Search | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Newton | 743 | Search | 15.21 | 30.7 | 11.9 | Berwickshire (180.88) West Lothian (104.88) Dundee City (41) |
| Niblo | 4765 | Search | 0.31 | 1.62 | 66.3 | Wigtownshire (20.48) |
| Niblock | 3288 | Search | 1 | 5.1 | 15.3 | Wigtownshire (15.36) Glasgow (5.07) Lanarkshire (3.45) |
| Nibloe | 4328 | Search | 1.12 | 1.81 | 36.6 | Wigtownshire (40.96) Dumfriesshire (11) Renfrewshire (3.43) |
| Niccol | 5014 | Search | 0.23 | 0.35 | 19.9 | Stirlingshire (4.61) Dundee City (1.64) Angus (0.59) |
| Nichell | 8156 | Search | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Nichol | 645 | Search | 32.59 | 33.83 | 15.1 | Selkirkshire (491.28) Roxburghshire (370.49) Dumfriesshire (140.2) |
| Nicholas | 4130 | Search | 0.27 | 3.09 | 22.4 | Aberdeen City (6.07) Caithness (5.33) Kirkcudbright (2.44) |
| Nicholl | 2995 | Search | 1.54 | 5.56 | 5.3 | Angus (8.26) West Lothian (6.55) Bute (5.58) |
| Nicholson | 299 | Search | 51.67 | 117.97 | 8.1 | Dumfriesshire (423.36) Caithness (181.07) Orkney (164.6) |
| Nickle | 5696 | Search | 0.93 | 0.04 | 5.5 | Wigtownshire (5.12) Edinburgh City (3.3) West Lothian (3.28) |
| Nicklson | 6802 | Search | 0.04 | 0.08 | 72.3 | East Lothian (2.79) |
| Nicol | 110 | Search | 159.67 | 276.6 | 4.3 | Bute (697.31) Aberdeen City (488.46) Kincardineshire (412.54) |
| Nicole | 4201 | Search | 2.28 | 1.31 | 8.2 | Banffshire (18.62) Dundee City (18.04) Angus (14.15) |
| Nicoll | 359 | Search | 43.64 | 108.39 | 9.3 | Dundee City (405.04) Angus (388.67) Kinross (159.41) |
| Nicolson | 293 | Search | 111.48 | 145.81 | 15.7 | Shetland (1747.33) Inverness-shire (1313.31) Ross and Cromarty (291.47) |
| Niddrie | 3165 | Search | 2.12 | 2.16 | 18.3 | Kincardineshire (38.86) Angus (20.05) Aberdeen (3.63) |
| Niel | 3328 | Search | 12.4 | 2.16 | 5.5 | Ayrshire (68.25) Berwickshire (37.93) Wigtownshire (25.6) |
| Niell | 4691 | Search | 2.86 | 0.42 | 9 | Wigtownshire (25.6) East Lothian (22.34) Ayrshire (15.99) |
| Nielson | 2774 | Search | 11.43 | 2.43 | 6.6 | Peeblesshire (75.92) Kirkcudbright (43.85) Stirlingshire (38) |
| Nielston | 7632 | Search | 0.04 | 0.04 | 15.9 | Ayrshire (0.61) |
| Niesh | 5635 | Search | 1.43 | 0.73 | 12.5 | Perthshire (18.77) Kinross (9.96) Moray (5.39) |
| Nimmo | 570 | Search | 31.66 | 64.95 | 15.6 | West Lothian (501.44) Peeblesshire (189.79) Stirlingshire (84.07) |
| Ninian | 3873 | Search | 1.27 | 0.77 | 8.7 | Ayrshire (11.07) Shetland (9.89) Edinburgh City (3.85) |
| Nisbet | 375 | Search | 65.49 | 130.95 | 6.9 | Berwickshire (455.12) East Lothian (424.45) Shetland (372.54) |
| Nisbett | 2120 | Search | 6.37 | 4.4 | 10.3 | Shetland (65.94) Ayrshire (23.98) Midlothian (13.26) |
| Nisbit | 3999 | Search | 1.16 | 1.08 | 40.3 | Berwickshire (46.68) Shetland (13.19) Dundee City (4.92) |
| Nish | 1854 | Search | 6.64 | 6.18 | 13.5 | Wigtownshire (89.59) Kirkcudbright (75.51) Clackmannanshire (33.72) |
| Nisham | 7304 | Search | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Nishdale | 8245 | Search | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Nithery | 7742 | Search | 0.12 | 0.08 | 258 | Kinross (29.89) |
| Nitters | 7683 | Search | 0.19 | 0 | 63.1 | Kirkcudbright (12.18) |
| Niven | 389 | Search | 51.05 | 83.53 | 2.6 | Renfrewshire (131.72) Argyll (124.3) Kinross (119.56) |
| Nivenson | 7695 | Search | 0 | 0.04 | 0 | |
| Niveson | 7273 | Search | 0.08 | 0.15 | 27.9 | Dunbartonshire (2.15) Dumfriesshire (1.37) |
| Nivie | 6635 | Search | 0.19 | 0 | 55.9 | Moray (10.79) Aberdeen (0.52) |
| Nivison | 3263 | Search | 2.2 | 2.82 | 18.7 | Dumfriesshire (41.24) Roxburghshire (21.92) Wigtownshire (12.8) |
| Nixon | 1026 | Search | 7.95 | 29.66 | 7.7 | Wigtownshire (61.44) Selkirkshire (61.41) Glasgow (22.66) |
| Noble | 285 | Search | 66.23 | 137.66 | 10.7 | Peeblesshire (711.71) Inverness-shire (303.86) Ross and Cromarty (227.12) |
| Nolan | 2249 | Search | 0.93 | 18.5 | 5.5 | Argyll (5.05) Dundee City (3.28) Renfrewshire (2.74) |
| Norie | 3159 | Search | 6.87 | 0.27 | 4.8 | Angus (33.03) Aberdeen (32.11) Moray (24.27) |
| Noris | 6732 | Search | 0.15 | 0 | 10.6 | Dundee City (1.64) Glasgow (1.01) Lanarkshire (0.69) |
| Norman | 1607 | Search | 3.21 | 15.72 | 37.3 | Kinross (119.56) Dundee City (19.68) Clackmannanshire (11.24) |
| Normand | 2576 | Search | 2.32 | 5.37 | 38.7 | Kinross (89.67) Fife (37.75) Edinburgh City (4.4) |
| Norn | 5464 | Search | 1.74 | 0.42 | 85.2 | Orkney (148.14) |
| Norquay | 3815 | Search | 3.55 | 5.17 | 85.2 | Orkney (302.86) |
| Norrie | 821 | Search | 15.25 | 33.67 | 4.7 | Angus (71.95) Aberdeen (66.82) Dundee City (62.31) |
| Norris | 1240 | Search | 5.41 | 17.42 | 4.4 | Dunbartonshire (23.69) Glasgow (19.96) Lanarkshire (13.56) |
| Northage | 7672 | Search | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Norton | 2625 | Search | 1.2 | 8.8 | 5.7 | Glasgow (6.76) Lanarkshire (4.6) Roxburghshire (4.38) |
| Norval | 2125 | Search | 4.67 | 6.45 | 27.7 | Kinross (129.52) Aberdeen City (18.2) Stirlingshire (13.82) |
| Norwald | 7849 | Search | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Norwell | 3302 | Search | 1.78 | 2.97 | 17.2 | Perthshire (30.5) Bute (5.58) Glasgow (2.03) |
| Notman | 1361 | Search | 9.5 | 15.91 | 26 | Peeblesshire (246.73) Midlothian (54.81) Edinburgh City (51.68) |
| Nourse | 7251 | Search | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Nugent | 1684 | Search | 1.85 | 22.05 | 6.6 | Kirkcudbright (12.18) Midlothian (6.63) Edinburgh City (6.6) |
| Nulty | 6537 | Search | 0.04 | 0.23 | 144.5 | Bute (5.58) |
| Nutt | 3668 | Search | 0.54 | 4.67 | 17.8 | Dumfriesshire (9.62) Renfrewshire (2.74) Angus (1.18) |
| Nyland | 7212 | Search | 0 | 0.08 | 0 |
